


On and Off Again

by beeeinyourbonnet



Series: The Rumbelle IT Crowd AU [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-14
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-25 09:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2617601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeeinyourbonnet/pseuds/beeeinyourbonnet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The heat in the basement of Mill's Industries is broken, and the IT department must get creative.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On and Off Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is an IT Crowd AU, and, disclaimer: these ficlets are NOT in chronological order. Enjoy!

The bundle of berry pink that stared up at Gold from his otherwise pristine desk was more terrifying than anything he’d seen in his brief stint as a soldier. He picked it up, holding it with the tips of his fingers, and limped out of his office into the cluttered basement.

“Jones, what the hell is this?” He brandished it at the man slouched over one of the two other desks.

Jones looked up, his swath of black hair covered by another pink thing that could only have been a knit shower cap. “The heat’s broken and it’s supposed to snow, so Belle made us hats.”

Gold examined the bundle in his hand, wrought with snags and holes and knots. “This is a hat?” He could have made a better one in his sleep.

“Yes, can’t you see me wearing it on my head?”

“Why don’t I just get the heater fix—”

The scraping sound of the off-balance basement door cut him off, and then Belle sang herself in. “I’m back!”

Gold whipped around to face the doorway, clutching the beanie to his chest like a shield, and found himself struck dumb by Belle. This happened more often than he’d like to admit, but today, it was not because of a sultry neckline or sheer pantyhose. Today, it was because Belle was wrapped from head to toe in yarn, as though she had walked out of a sheep tornado. From beneath her knitted skirt—who even made knitted skirts?—peeked a pair of thick, suede boots.

He cleared his dry throat. “What—”

“Gold doesn’t like your hat.” Jones kicked his feet onto the desk with two loud thuds.

Gold glared at Jones, filing away his lecture on the merits of manly loyalty for later, and all the man did was tip his beanie over his closed eyes and shrug. Belle’s lower lip started to tremble.

“You don’t like it?” she asked, setting down the bundle she was carrying.

“Of course I like it,” he said, the furrow in his brow deepening with each parcel and tote she unloaded from her tiny frame. “Belle, are you turning IT into a bomb shelter? This place is cluttered enough.”

“We might get snowed in,” she said, and he recognized the way she tossed her hair as the frosty sign of her disapproval. “I thought you two would like to keep warm and well-fed. And since the heater’s broken, I brought supplies.”

The phone rang, interrupting him suggesting he get the heater fixed again, and he waited for Belle to pick it up, since Jones never did when she was around. Her talking would give him some time to gather himself, and figure out what to do about the lump of yarn in his hands.

Instead, Jones stretched forward. “Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Belle, shoulders still stiff with disapproval, shrugged out of her pea coat. “I even brought blankets,” she said, and then she was reaching around to unwrap her knit skirts.

Maybe Gold would pass out—then all of this would be over. “Did you knit them yourself?”

_“All right, is it plugged in?”_

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The first knit skirt—a purple number with snowflakes that turned out to be a pinned-up blanket—revealed a second one underneath. “I couldn’t knit this fast.”

_Or that well_. “That was thoughtful of you,” he said, and her shoulders relaxed a fraction. The third unwrapped blanket revealed normal, denim jeans, though she was still wearing a knit sweater.

“Thank you.”

The phone rang again almost as soon as Jones hung up with a groan. Belle cast one fearful look at it before he answered again.

“Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Gold frowned, watching Belle wring her mittens together in front of her. “Why is he answering the phone?”

“It’s his job.”

“Yes, but he never answers the phone if you can. He’s an irresponsible, lazy slacker.”

Belle shrugged before setting down her mittens to pick up the purple blanket. “Here, this’ll keep you warm when the blizzard starts.”

“Why don’t we just leave before the blizzard starts?” he asked, accepting the blanket. Maybe he could hide the hat in it.

“Can’t. Regina’s got the company on lockdown until everything’s ready for the merger, so we have to be on-call.”

He clenched his teeth. Of course Regina hadn’t thought it necessary to send him a memo. “As the department head—”

“Business liaison,” Belle corrected.

“Because you don’t understand computers,” Jones added, and Gold clenched his teeth again.

“As the _department head_ , I should be the one getting this sort of information and relaying it to you.”

“Take it up with Regina.” Belle started pulling books out of her bag, and the stack she came up with was as tall as her monitor.

The phone rang again, and she froze long enough to make Gold stomp over there—yarn, cane, and all.

“Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?” Jones asked. Belle squared her shoulders.

“What is going on?” Gold was not above snarling and growling to get his information—even if he did have a soft spot for Belle—but she gave in without much effort.

“Keith on sixth won’t leave me alone, and I think he’s resorted to breaking his computer so I’ll come fix it.” She swallowed. “Are you going to wear your hat?”

Gold clenched his teeth together. _Keith_. That was a jackass name if he’d ever heard one. “Of course.” He jammed it onto his head, ignoring Jones’ snickering. Belle’s smile made it worth wearing the mangled thing.

The phone rang again while Jones was in the bathroom, and Belle looked up at Gold with her stupid beautiful blue eyes. With a silent prayer that the IT department’s fix-all method would be enough, Gold picked the phone up and growled, “Hello, IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?”


End file.
